The Beckies are back! Following Omnivore Recordings' 2022 expansion of The Left Banke's Strangers on a Train, the label is exploring another chapter of the Michael Brown story with the February 28 release of Good to Know: The Beckies Story on 2 CDs. Michael Brown (also known for his work with Montage and "Brother Louie" band Stories) was known for fusing baroque and classical sounds with rock and roll, but The Beckies emphasized the latter. The band was anchored by Brown and vocalist Scott
In Memoriam: Garth Hudson (1937-2025)
This morning, it was announced that Garth Hudson, 87, had died in a Woodstock, New York nursing home. Hudson was the last surviving member of The Band, and with his passing, an era has come to a close. Though best known for his virtuosic organ playing, Hudson was a multi-instrumentalist who brought various colors to The Band's rootsy, organic brand of Americana. Hudson's sound tapped into the many veins of American popular music and could, by turns, conjure a raucous revival, a whimsical
What's It All About: Verve to Release Long-Lost 1967 Concert from Ella Fitzgerald
Ella Fitzgerald ushered in 1967 with a new label affiliation; she had decamped Verve for the Capitol label where she would release two albums - one of hymns, and the other of traditional Christmas carols - that year. In concert, Ella was in a period of transition. While rewarding her audiences with the classic standards they expected, she was also experimenting with newer material from the pop-rock songbook. On February 28, Ella's once and future home of Verve will release The Moment of
The Village (Snap To It): JAY Records, Cherry Red Celebrate "Folk City" with New Concept Album
The name of Gerdes Folk City has long been synonymous with the halcyon era of the Greenwich Village music scene. Bob Dylan made his New York debut on its tiny stage and later debuted "Blowin' in the Wind" there. Peter, Paul, and Mary played their first official gig together at Gerdes. Simon and Garfunkel, Joan Baez, Judy Collins, and Doc Watson were the among the dozens of major artists who made Gerdes a home in the club's early days. Its later years saw a wide variety of artists including
Total Mass Retain: Rhino Reissues Yes' "Close to the Edge" in Super Deluxe Set
Yes' fifth album, Close to the Edge, continued the band's early winning streak. The 1972 release - their final album of the decade to feature drummer Bill Bruford and first to feature the band's now-famous "bubble" logo type - featured just three songs (two of which had multiple movements). But they were sufficiently power-packed as to propel the LP to top five berths in both the U.K. and U.S. and eventual Platinum sales status. On March 7, Rhino will revisit Close to the Edge as a
In Memoriam: Peter Yarrow (1938-2025)
When Bob Dylan famously took the stage at the 1965 Newport Folk Festival and "plugged in" - an event dramatized at the climax of the Golden Globe-nominated film A Complete Unknown - the friendly face serving as emcee tried mightily to calm the fiercely divided crowd. Though his screen time in director James Mangold's film is minimal, Nick Pupo makes an impression as that beleaguered host: one Peter Yarrow, of Peter, Paul, and Mary. The folk trio was part of the same managerial stable as Dylan
It Might Have Been: Neil Young Premieres Lost Album "Oceanside Countryside" in February
Last September, Neil Young unveiled his biggest Archives collection yet. The third volume encompassed 17 CDs and five Blu-rays, boasting 15 previously unreleased songs, 121 previously unreleased tracks, and 11 full-length films (four of which were also previously unissued). On February 14, the musical iconoclast dips into Archives Vol. III - with a twist, naturally - for the premiere vinyl release of his once-lost album, Oceanside Countryside. Oceanside Countryside was recorded from May to
Holiday Gift Guide Review: Joni Mitchell, "Archives: Volume Four (1976-1980)" and "The Asylum Albums (1976-1980)"
Earlier this year, Joni Mitchell brought her now-famous Joni Jam shows to the Hollywood Bowl for two sold-out evenings. A little more than 45 years ago, Mitchell closed out her North American tour with a series of shows some fifteen minutes away from the Bowl at the Greek Theatre; a selection from that concert closes the fourth volume of the Joni Mitchell Archives series of box sets. The Bowl shows proved another triumph for the artist who's now widely recognized for the innovations that
Holiday Gift Guide Review: Alice Cooper, "Muscle of Love: Deluxe Edition"
Rare is the album that's better remembered for its packaging than its contents. But that may well be the case with the band Alice Cooper's seventh (and final) album, 1973's Muscle of Love. As it followed the Platinum-certified international chart-topper Billion Dollar Babies, hopes were high for the LP. It was greeted by lukewarm critical assessments, though, and "merely" reached No. 10 on the Billboard 200 and No. 34 on the U.K. Albums Chart. As such, it was inevitably considered a
Eternity: Cherry Pop Reissues Sheena Easton's "No Sound But a Heart"
Following the deluxe 2CD expansion of Do You earlier this year, Cherry Pop has continued its upgrade and overhaul of Sheena Easton's discography with a remastered vinyl edition of her 1987 album No Sound But a Heart. For her eighth album and final set with EMI, Easton turned to the prevailing "multiple producers" approach so prevalent in the 1980s. As those producers included Narada Michael Walden, Phil Ramone, Nick Martinelli, and Keith Diamond, the Scottish singer was in good hands on 1987's
It Had Better Be Tonight: Quartet Records Celebrates Henry Mancini with "Pink Panther" Premiere Plus "Darling Lili" and More
April 16, 2024 marked what would have been the 100th birthday of Henry Mancini (1924-1994). With over 125 films and 90 albums to his credit (not to mention television shows, stage productions, and more!), the late composer's richly melodic music is still very much a part of the American cultural tapestry. Spain's soundtrack specialist label Quartet Records wasn't about to let the Mancini centennial go unnoticed. The label has delivered four new Mancini releases just in time for the holidays,
Touchin' The Wind: Iconoclassic Expands Dwight Twilley's "Scuba Divers" with Long-Lost "Blueprint" Sessions
Iconoclassic Records is ushering in 2025 with the newest addition to its ongoing Dwight Twilley reissue series - and this one's a doozy, with a whopping 25 tracks (eleven of which are previously unreleased). On January 31, the label will reissue the late artist's 1981 album Scuba Divers as Scuba Divers: Blueprint Edition, with the subtitle nodding to Twilley's much-coveted unreleased album. Twilley, the singer-songwriter's first solo album following two acclaimed albums with The Dwight
Johnny Remember Me: Joe Meek's Tea Chest Tapes Series Continues with John Leyton Box Set
Cherry Red's series of Joe Meek's Tea Chest Tapes has been rolling along prolifically in 2024. Do the Strum! collected, on 3 CDs, many of the late Meek's productions for girl groups and female artists including Billie Davis, Glenda Collins, The Honeycombs, and many more. The Cryin' Shames' Please Stay, a 2-CD set, chronicled Meek's work with the Liverpool group that scored a U.K. hit with a cover of Burt Bacharach and Bob Hilliard's Drifters oldie "Don't Go (Please Stay)." Now, the
Holiday Gift Guide Review: Bob Dylan and The Band, "The 1974 Live Recordings"
Big things often come in small packages. Such is the case with Legacy Recordings' recent excavation of Bob Dylan and The Band's 1974 tour. 40 concerts took place over 30 dates and 21 cities, with Dylan, Robbie Robertson, Garth Hudson, Richard Manuel, Levon Helm, and Rick Danko even playing two shows in one day in many markets. The 1974 Live Recordings takes the form of a tiny cube, packing in 27 discs and 431 tracks (417 of which are previously unreleased). The set contains every
Holiday Gift Guide Review: The Beatles, "1964 U.S. Albums in Mono"
Any Time at All Did The Beatles save rock and roll? If John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison, and Ringo Starr didn't save the still-young form, they certainly gifted it with a reinvigorating, exhilarating jolt of musical euphoria the likes of which hadn't been seen before - and hasn't been duplicated since. The scene was early 1964. Buddy Holly was long gone, and the big hits had dried up - at the moment, at least - for Jerry Lee Lewis and Little Richard. Elvis had served his
May the Funk Be With You: Cherry Red's Robinsongs Boxes Up Five Discs of George Duke
George Duke (1946-2013) wore many hats throughout his long and varied career: keyboardist, composer, producer, arranger, singer. His solo discography encompassed 40 albums while his collaborations included LPs with such jazz luminaries as Jean-Luc Ponty, Billy Cobham, Stanley Clarke, and Dexter Gordon. He produced records for A Taste of Honey, Sister Sledge, Barry Manilow, Melissa Manchester, Miles Davis, Al Jarreau, and Smokey Robinson. Jazz was only part of the George Duke story, as his
Ike's Mood: Isaac Hayes' "Hot Buttered Singles 1969-1972" Arrives from Ace
Who's the black private dick that's a sex machine to all the chicks? If you answered "Shaft," you're damn right! When Isaac Hayes picked up the Academy Award for Best Original Song in 1972 for the "Theme from Shaft," he was only the third African-American to win an Oscar - and the first in the field of music. Shaft remains the best-selling album in the Stax Records catalogue and one of the most successful soundtracks of all time; for Isaac Hayes, it was a triumph that built on the
Holiday Gift Guide Review: Elvis Costello, "King of America and Other Realms"
It was a fine idea at the time/Now it's a brilliant mistake... Elvis Costello delivered a powerful surprise in 1986 when he shed his backing band, The Attractions, and teamed up with T Bone Burnett for King of America. Originally credited in the U.K. to The Costello Show (Featuring The Attractions and Confederates) and in the U.S. to The Costello Show (Featuring Elvis Costello), the album backtracked from the sleek '80s polish of its two immediate predecessors (Punch the Clock and Goodbye
Got You Where I Want You: Dwight Twilley, Max Werner Reissues Arrive This Friday from Iconoclassic
This Friday, November 15, Iconoclassic Records will release its two latest titles - the third album in its ongoing Dwight Twilley reissue series and a long-lost gem from Kayak drummer-singer Max Werner. Twilley, the power pop hero's first solo album following two acclaimed albums with The Dwight Twilley Band, originally arrived in 1979 on Arista Records in the United States. The late singer-songwriter (1951-2023) was joined by a core band including Bill Pitcock IV on lead guitar, Jim Lewis
Country Sunshine: Morello Reissues Four Albums from Late Country Queen Dottie West
After nearly a decade, Cherry Red's Morello imprint has returned to the discography of late country songstress Dottie West with a new 4-albums-on-2-CDs release. After pairing West's first two RCA albums on CD (1965's Here Comes My Baby and Dottie West Sings) in 2016, Morello has jumped ahead to 1971-1972 for a collection featuring Careless Hands, Have You Heard...Dottie West, I'm Only a Woman, and Country Sunshine. After penning Jim Reeves' 1963 hit "Is This Me," Dottie auditioned and signed
Fortuosity: Stage Door Pop Brings Rare Tommy Steele Recordings to CD in November
Tommy Steele may be best remembered today for his starring role on both sides of the Atlantic as Arthur Kipps in the 1963 musical Half a Sixpence - one which he repeated for its film adaptation - or for such motion pictures as Finian's Rainbow and Walt Disney's The Happiest Millionaire. Considered to be Britain's first teen idol, the London native with the toothy grin and big talents scored such early rock-and-roll hits as "Rock with the Caveman," "Butterfingers," "Water, Water," "Nairobi,"
In Memoriam: Quincy Jones (1933-2024)
Quincy Delight Jones was just 14 years old when he introduced himself to Ray Charles. Though the pianist-singer was just two years older, he was already an inspiration to the younger musician. Charles had the gift of synthesizing the various strains of music - jazz, folk, country, pop, soul, rhythm and blues, and gospel, among them - into a sound both wholly new and wholly American. Jones was struck by how Charles overcame adversity, and their shared ethos became one which shaped young
Shattered: The Rolling Stones' 1999 Shepherd Bush Gig Arrives in November from Mercury Studios
The Rolling Stones have long been famed for their "secret shows." One of those took place on June 8, 1999 when Mick Jagger, Keith Richards, Ronnie Wood, Charlie Watts, and company took the stage at the Shepherd's Bush Empire, a 1903 music hall in the West London suburb. In front of an 1,800-capacity crowd including such luminaries as Anita Pallenberg, Pete Townshend, Jerry Hall, Jimmy Page, Robert Plant, and Bob Geldof, the World's Greatest Rock and Roll Band strutted their stuff just days
Fanny Walked the Earth: Cherry Red's "The Reprise Years 1970-1973" Expands All-Female Band's First Four Albums
When Fanny - a.k.a. June Millington (guitar), Jean Millington (bass), Alice De Buhr (drums), and Nickey Barclay (keyboards) - came to Reprise Records in 1969, the foursome became the first all-female rock band to be signed to a major label. Championed by Richard Perry, Fanny went on record four albums for Reprise, notch two top 40 singles, open for acts including Humble Pie, Jethro Tull, and Slade, and even back Barbra Streisand on a couple of songs. Their catalogue has been well-served over
In Memoriam: Phil Lesh (1940-2024)
And it's just a box of rain/Or a ribbon for your hair/Such a long, long time to be gone/And a short time to be there... With the passing on Friday of Phil Lesh at the age of 84, another chapter of Grateful Dead's long, strange trip has come to a close. A founding member of the Dead, Lesh positioned his bass as a crucial element of the band's sound. Even as his fluid lines complemented the rhythms of Bob Weir's guitar and the thunderous boom of Bill Kreutzmann and Mickey Hart's drums, Lesh
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